I fell so deeply into THE FINAL REVIVAL OF OPAL & NEV by Dawnie Walton that I forgot I was reading. When accomplished, ambitious, and passionately curious journalist Sunny probes into the life and times that shaped her own life, identity, and brought her to this present, she gets far more than she expected. Rather than the ultimate scoop of her career, getting closer to and knowing the phenomenally successful, passionate, and genius Opal and Nev, Sunny is challenged by what she discovers about herself and the world they created. While comparisons between this story and Taylor Jenkins Reid's DAISY JONES AND THE SIX may be inevitable since both stories take place in the same time period with strong female protagonists and music, they are each their own story, each brilliant and artful in their own way. Walton probes the social and political tumult that took lives, but does so with candor, unflinching at the violence, horrific cultural clashes, and desperate search for community, art, and connection.

This has the vibes of Taylor Jenkins’ Evelyn Hugo and some say Daisy Jones (though I still have to read this one so I cannot compare). I am not into the music scene but I love watching concerts and missing those at the moment after reading this.

As the title itself, the story is told in oral history and tackles from the very start of how Opal and New met leading up to the final revival. Coming to Detroit, young, fierce, independent Opal discovered by aspiring British singer Neville Charles at a bar’s amateur night. She takes advantage of the offer to make music together under Rivington Records. While trying to boost their fledging career, during a promotional concert, Opal’s bold protest and the violence that follows reminds us of what it is to be Black women who just wants the truth and fair treatment. Decades later, in 2016, Opal considers a renunion with Nev. The newly promoted editor-in-chief Sunny Shelton takes the opportunity to tell the story of her idols. As everybody knows and to much of what Sunny knows of what happened to that ill fated night of the duo’s showcase in ’72, she discovers a disturbing allegation from an unreliable source that would threaten everything she works hard to build.

In an industry dominated by white men, especially during the 70s, centering on the story more on Opal and Sunny view are refreshing. I like how the author interperse true events with fictional ones, making me hoping that Opal and Nev are real characters. The author doesn’t shy away from discussing the blatant racism Black people experienced then and now. I like the first part and the strong build up of the story as well as the last part. I wish there were to the duo’s rising to stardom together. I want more of Jimmy’s character and his relationship to Opal, which I think is important in the story. Still, overall this is a strong debut novel and will definitely watch for more of the author’s future works!

Thank you NetGalley for the providing the e-ARC. Pub Date: March 30, 2021

Very daisy jones and the six vibe but dare I say better? Opal is so much more likable than Daisy and that was an instant win for me! Loved this.

Thank you to Netgalley, 37 Ink, and Simon and Schuster for an eARC of this wonderful book!

Do you ever get giddy while you’re reading a book? During the ‘Editorial Notes’ introduction to Dawnie Walton’s The Final Revival of Opal & Nev I was full of giddiness. It was like Opal Jewel was a musician that I loved and I was finally getting her full story.

While I’m sure most reviews of this book will compare it to Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones & the Six, these books tackle different topics and emotions. Yes they both center strong, fierce women. But the stories of these women, Daisy and Opal, shine spotlights on overlooked histories.

Had I gone completely unaware into this book, not having read Daisy Jones or read anything about this book, I’m positive I would have been bamboozeled and thought this was a book based on non-fiction.

This book feels so REAL. The mix of fictional characters and rock and roll icons creates such a realistic world. This book is so cinematic and Walton creates such a vivid world. Virgil and Opal’s fashions jump off the page. I wish these characters were real, I would love to see these looks in real life. And would LOVE to see this book adapted to film or TV! And I’m sure the audiobook of this one will be incredible!

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev follows Sunny, the first black editor-in-chief of music magazine Aural, as she writes a history of the afro-punk duo Opal & Nev amidst reunion rumors.

I won't lie, this book took a little while for me to get into. I had seen comments about the similarities it holds to 2019"s Daisy Jones and the Six, so I was worried about drawing constant parallels in my head. While that did happen, occasionally, due to the oral history/interview format, the stories are so different and each has its own merits.

One thing that I felt stood out about this book was the clarity in the story. I never got lost in the interviews, because Walton kept the timeline very clear. The frequent pops back into Sunny's editorial commentary helped reorient the story and smooth any gaps that may have happened between points in time if the entire book had been written in interview format. Much like with the aforementioned novel, I did have to keep reminding myself that this was NOT a non-fiction book as it was so detailed and specific - it really does make you feel like you're there in the studio with Opal and Nev in the 1970s and witnessing the fallout thereafter in first person.

As I previously mentioned, it did take a while for me to get into this book. While the premise was intriguing, and the writing was excellent, I found myself bogged down in the details at the beginning. There were so many side characters that it became had to keep the straight - particularly people involved with Rivington like Howie Kelly and Bob Hize. This became clearer as the book went on, accenting each person as their own individual character with very distinct personalities.

The conversation that is started by Opal & Nev is important. Though fictional, it highlights a real and present issue that has plagued the US in history and in continues to do so in present day. This means that at times, it is not an easy read and does depict many instances of hate crimes, explicit racism, and use of the n-word. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of oral histories of the music industry, 70s music lovers, people who love an unashamedly outspoken and assertive lead female.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster/37 Ink and NetGalley for this arc! All opinions written here are my own.

This book took me a few tries to get into, but once I hit the halfway point, I could NOT put it down! It's written in an interview format, which took a while to get used to, but the author does such a fantastic job of creating convincing voices for her various characters.

The Final Revival of Opal and Nev follows Sunny, the first black editor-in-chief of Aural magazine, as she attempts to write a book about the history and potential reunion of Opal and Nev, a punk rock duo. Sunny herself has complicated ties to the story. The band's leading lady, Opal Jewell, had an affair with Sunny's father, Jimmy, who was murdered before Sunny's birth. After the duo split, Opal became an activist, while Nev had a successful solo career. Sunny interviews Opal, Nev, and various people close to the duo to find out the true story of what really happened to her father all those years ago.

I loved Opal's character and her transformation throughout the book so much. It was also so interesting to read about how the music industry worked, as well as the social justice movements that Opal became a part of. I have heard comparisons of this book to Daisy Jones and the Six. Though I haven't read that book myself, I will say that this book is definitely worth a try.

The Final Revival Of Opal and Nev is about the rise and fall of a 70’s Afropunk duo of Opal, an unapologetically outspoken Black woman, and Nev an easygoing, artistic White man. We get to see how the duo deals with all the usual music industry problems, as well as racist problems that come from having a Black woman as a lead in a 1970’s rock band.

I really enjoyed this book! The story was told so well through the interviews. It can be hard reading a book written in the interview format without getting confused, but I never had that problem with this book. The timeline was very clear. This book really transported me into the story. I had to keep checking to make sure this book wasn’t non-fiction because it was so detailed and authentic! It really transported me into the 70’s. The characters felt like real people. No one was perfect. Everyone made mistakes. No characters were two-dimensional. I really felt like I knew these people. And Opal was so amazing! She made this book the perfect feminist read!

Now for the things I didn’t love about this book. It took me a little while to really get invested in the story, but once I got about 30% into the book, I was hooked. In the beginning, however, I had a hard time keeping up with the side characters. It took me a while to know the difference between Bob Hize and Howie Kelly as well as other pairs of characters that seemed similar to me, but as the story went on they became very distinct. Other than those two things, I had no other problems with the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves character driven stories about the 70’s, rock music, and standing up against racist ideologies.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster/37 Ink and NetGalley for this arc. All opinions are my own.

TW: racism, hate crimes, use of the n-word

Review goes live on Lair Of Books on 3/29/2021 @8am EST

THE 411...

Written in oral history format this is the story of a young black woman with a whole lot of style and personality. A visionary who knew how to entertain and couldn't see herself working a 9 to 5, Opal knew she'd be recognized one day and catch her big break. Born & raised in Detroit alongside her sister and single working mother, she was always up for a performance. Opal's sister had the voice and was very attractive while Opal was considered unusual due to having Alopecia Areata. She had begun to lose her hair in patches and while she struggled with self image, it did not deter her from the limelight. Opal didn't have the voice but what she lacked there she more than made up for in stage presence which eventually led to her getting the attention of Nev Charles. Nev who was out with his manager in search of an act that would enhance his performance which was missing something. A singer/songwriter, Nev was born and raised in Britain but had traveled to New York in search of his big break. Signed to Rivington Records, a small and struggling label who took a chance on him, Nev extends the opportunity to Opal after one of her performances at a bar in Downtown Detroit.

Set during the early 70's in New York City, a time of political tension and racial injustices reaching a climax. Where artists and musicians were providing commentary through their work and a girl like Opal could find her voice. Opal & Nev were never mainstream however they did have a strong cult following. They appealed to those society considered misfits as well as marginalized teenagers who were coping with all sorts of issues like drug addictions, abuse and self harm. Things decisively change for Opal in particular when Rivington Records decides to sign a band who openly praised the confederate flag. During a promotional concert backstage that flag is waved which leads to Opal taking action in protest, this then leads to an outbreak of violence and the loss of life. Nothing is the same after this night, not for these artists individually or for them as a duo. Decades later Opal is considering a reunion tour of sorts with Nev who has shot to stardom while her career has entered a stage of dormancy. Sunny Shelton the daughter of Jimmy Curtis, the black drummer playing for Opal & Nev who was brutally beaten and killed that night, sees an opportunity to put together an oral history of her idols. What she uncovers while conducting interviews however paints a very different picture of what led up to the violence that night.

Content Warning: drug & pill addiction, overdose, cancer, xenophobia, Infidelity, homophobic slurs, violence, racism, death

"People always used to comment on how different the two of us were, but a lot of that was optics. Me and Nev had real soul connections-funny stories about growing up, the hilarious things you do to make your way through this world as an outsider. But behind that there was some heaviness too."

WRITING & FINAL THOUGHTS...

I'll admit that my interest was initially piqued when I heard rumblings of this book being similar to Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid which I absolutely LOVED in 2019! However, Opal & Nev is its own story also told in oral history format but with a ton of funky personality. Not only did the author do a phenomenal job of bringing Opal & Nev to life but the cast of characters also will remain unforgettable. These voices linger and it's kind of hard not to open up a web browser and run a search for them even though you know they're fictional. So much of what was going on in New York during the 70's with Nixon, racial injustice, and HIV/AIDS was brought to the page in a way that further fleshed out their story. If Opal were a real person in todays society and culture, not only do I think she'd be ICONIC but also she'd be joining grassroots efforts to fight the injustices that continue to plague black communities. I was very close to 5 starring this book & it's probably still going to make my list for best books of 20201. In between the oral history Sunny is piecing together from each character, we get what's titled "Editiors Note" from Sunny herself. Sometimes I did feel these parts took me out of the narrative a bit even though I was still genuinely interested in Sunny herself. It was never enough to take away from my enjoyment of the story, perhaps it was a matter of Opal taking center stage so much that I found it hard to pull away from her voice. Overall I found this to be quite the engaging character driven read and I already have my eyes on the audiobook from Librofm which is released this Tuesday March 30th with a FULL cast!

An oral history of a fictional music group, it is really hard not to compare this to Daisy Jones & the Six. That said, for all of their similarities, there is a lot of difference too. Opal & Nev are a fictional duo from the 1970s made up of a talented British redheaded singer/songwriter and the brash strong-minded black singer he picks out of obscurity in a Detroit bar to become his musical partner. Whereas Daisy Jones felt like you were reading a Behind the Music type documentary where its all about the music and the entertainment, with Opal & Nev you find yourself getting a glimpse into the longstanding racial issues that plague our country, as seen through musical history. It's a bit more serious and deeper and perhaps a bit less fun than Daisy. Yet, it is a good, engrossing read with memorable characters that would also make for a good book club book.

This is everything Daisy Jones and The Six wanted to be.

Written as an oral history, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is the story of a duo of musical artists in 1970's New York - who rose to fame, but have a dark secret about the event that brought them so much fame.

Opal Jewel is...Grace Jones, Eartha Kitt and Cher. A black woman from Detroit, she's full of pride, confidence and a drive to be something. Nev is...a red-haired English musical dweeb. Together, they create musical that crosses boundaries and genres. One night, at a label showcase, one of their label mates displays a Confederate flag, and Opal is having none of it. What happens next defines their careers.

In advance of a rumored reunion, S. Sunny Shelton, the editor of the premier music magazine, interviews all involved for a book. Sunny has a connection to the duo, her father, Jimmy, was killed at the label showcase that brought Opal and Nev their fame. When diving into the duo's history and 'that night' will change everything Sunny has been led to believe.

This is a story about race, music, success, sexism and freedom of artistic exploration. This book is on another level. It's...beyond good.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Opal is a black woman trying to make it as a star. She is discovered by singer Neville Charles at an amateur night. Opal and Nev sign with Rivington records. The label signs a rival band that likes to walk around wearing confederate flags. When the band arrives with a confederate flag at a promotional event, Opal decides to stage a protest that sets off a chain of events that will change her and Nev's life forever. Decades later, Opal wants to do a reunion with Nev and S Sunny Shelton decides to create an oral history of the band she grew up loving. As she interviews she finds that there are secrets that could change everything.

If you were a fan of Daisy Jones then this is a story for you. The format is the same, an interview format where the persons words are typed out. There were things I really loved about this book. It touched on some pretty tough themes like sexism and racism in the 1970's. While reading I felt like the characters were authentic and found myself wondering if Opal and Nev were real people. At the same time, I found parts to be slow. I struggled to be pulled into the story in the beginning, was sucked in in the middle, then I struggled at the end. While I found the interview format to be unique I feel like this hindered the story the author was trying to tell. My favorite parts of the story were when the author wasn't using the interview format. I wish we could have seen more of Opal in that format because Opal's character was pretty badass.

3.5 stars

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev was told in the same format as Daisy Jones & The Six, and for that reason, it felt a bit like something I had read before. That said, Opal & Nev is an entirely different story, and a more important one, at that. I love the IDEA of this writing style, but haven't decided yet if it works for me as a reader (while I enjoyed both this book and Daisy Jones, I didn't seem to respond to either one with the same enthusiasm as other readers).

When I first started reading it, I actually had to do a little research to make sure Opal & Nev were completely fictional. It was written in such a way that I thought maybe they were real and I had just never heard of them (that's not the case). It was a totally believable story that could have realistically taken place.

While I do think it was a good story, I had a hard time getting engrossed in the book. I felt that the characters could've been more developed. Perhaps that's a bit trickier when a book is written in this format. Opal was described as a very colorful, unique character, but I felt that as a reader, I didn't get to see her with the depth that she deserved. I thought her character could've been developed quite a bit more. I also felt that Nev's character was a bit lacking. There were brief mentions of his struggles, but there was little backstory to help develop him as a character. It made it challenging to feel an emotional connection to the characters.

I guess what I really wanted from the book was MORE. I wanted more from the individual characters, I wanted to feel more from Opal & Nev's relationship, I wanted resolution about a big revelation that was mentioned in the story (to be fair, I think that what I'm referring to was intentionally left open-ended). To be clear, me wanting more from the book isn't a criticism. I wanted more because I felt there was a lot to this story that could've been further explored and developed.

I do think this was a strong debut novel and will definitely check out future work from Dawnie Walton.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for providing me with an early copy of this book.

“Folks rally around that stuff, they claim it, they hurt people like you and me in the name of it. So when I laid eyes on that Bond Brothers album cover (a studio shot of the member facing the camera in a line, each wearing a confederate flag belt buckle on the waist of his jeans)... it was like I had built this life I loved in New York only to zoom right back to Summertime in Alabama. Me and Pearl, and our own Mother worried about what people who waved flags like that could do to little girls like us.”

As much as I don’t want to bring up Daisy Jones and The Six, I feel it’s important to note that besides the format and the fact they are written about the same era, there really is no comparison. They are each very much their own stories (thankfully!)

This is a strong debut novel for Dawnie Walkton. With that said, I struggled to get through this book. It took me a couple of weeks to read. What I enjoyed: It deals with powerful and (sadly) current messages about racism, and coming up as a woman in a man’s world. I appreciated that the author chose to take on tough subject matter and that we are given a POC perspective. What I struggled with is that at times it dragged and I was waiting for something more... maybe more background on the characters? More sub stories? I just couldn’t ever get fully invested in the story.

Many thanks to the Dawnie Walton, Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book. I read and reviewed this voluntarily and opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

When I saw that the Final Revival of Opal and Nev was a read now on Netgalley, I immediately downloaded it. Likened to a Daisy Jones and Six, a book I enjoyed, I was curious. Well this book turned out to be an epic journey dealing with feminism, sexism, racism and how much changes and yet stays the same. This is all set against the music industry of the early 1970s and 2016.

Told through interviews for an upcoming book, the story flows between the past and 2016. It’s a fascinating look at the music scene then and the very stark difference between how men and women were treated in the industry - particularly Black women.

Opal is a complex and talented woman and it was frustrating to see how stymied she was (career wise) by the labels put on her. The ending gave me hope that her talent and all that she went through were finally be recognized.

This was an excellent read that, for me, showcased the spirit and resiliency of Black Women in a male dominated world.

Actual rating 3.5 stars.

Everyone’s opening question is going to be “is this a Daisy Jones rip-off?” Personally, my answer is no, it’s not.

I liked Daisy Jones but liked Opal & Nev more. Opal & Nev felt more grounded in reality and the stakes felt higher. I think the genres of music the books cover are actually very analogous to the vibes of the books themselves – Daisy Jones absolutely feels soft rock, while Opal & Nev feels punk.

Opal is a fascinating character and I found myself always wanting to know more about her throughout the story. She’s one of those characters who I know is going to keep popping into my mind years down the line.

At times I wanted the pace to pick up and the ending is a bit of a letdown, but the book overall is extremely engaging, masterfully handles the racial aspects of the music industry and music fans, and is wonderfully written.

There has been a fair amount of hype about this book, The Final Revival of Opal and Nev, and frankly, I didn’t expect it to live up to it.
I’m pleased to say I was wrong!
The book has been compared to Daisy and the Six, another fictional bio of a fictional rock band, and a book that I also enjoyed.
The mismatched pair of Opal and Nev, him a pampered English white boy songwriter and her a gawky, balding black girl from Detroit, find one another and create something totally different than either would ever have without the other.
On the cusp of their big break a tragic event occurs that hurtles them into fame and the spotlight, but also spells the end of their relationship.
The book unfolds as a series of interviews some forty years after the fact with the principals and those surrounding them by an ambitious young, black female journalist who has a close personal connection to the story.
Issues of racism, sexism, and social injustice, which are so sadly relevant still today, propel the story forward.
First time author Dawnie Walton so convincingly creates the characters of Opal Jewel and Nev Charles and their musical collaboration that I could almost hear the songs as they performed them. Even the more peripheral characters are so well crafted that it feels as though you have known them for years. Their voices seem completely familiar as they recount their remembrances of the young duo.
The explosive climax of the pair’s final revival may not be the fairy tale ending you would have hoped for, but it is the ending that this completely engaging and believable book demanded.
If you are a music fan and you care about justice and most importantly, if you love a good story, this book is for you!

This novel tells the story of Opal and Nev, a musical duo of the 1979’a. This story tells of their rise to new, their influence and the fall of their career. Through interviews, the musicians and the people who were instrumental in their success details moments and situations that’s helped to shapes their music
.
This was a nice story, I enjoyed the format and the different characters . I listen to the end of it on audiobook and the full cast was amazing . I wish there was more romance and drama. Overs it it was an interesting read!

This is an extremely powerful book that takes on racism and sexism in the music world and beyond. It makes clear that you don't have to be a confederate flag toting redneck to be racist and that the people we love can hurt us more deeply than our enemies. I loved the interview format and the whole book is an easy and entertaining read. I am looking forward to reading more by this author. This is a confident and thoughtful debut.

“Opal Jewel was indeed everything: classic and modern, petite and immense, formal and casual, bold and restrained.”

Quick Summary: It’s 2016 and Sunny Shelton, the newly appointed Editor-in-Chief of music magazine, Aural, is writing about the story of Opal Jewel and Nev Charles. She has exclusive information that the duo will be making a historic reunion at an upcoming music festival. The Final Revival of Opal & Nev follows Sunny as she interviews a variety of characters to learn more about the events that lead to their break up and the truth about a tragic night that changed all of their lives forever.

This will obviously get lots of comparisons to Daisy Jones & the Six- both being written as oral histories about fictional rock bands. But that’s about as far as the comparison goes. For me, Daisy Jones fell flat and I always thought it was because it was written as an oral history/interview format. So I was half-expecting to not enjoy The Final Revival of Opal & Nev due to this but NO I WAS SO WRONG. HOLY S***. This book stands on its own and completely blew me awayyyy. And by the way… it’s a debut. Wow- the writing was just SO good.

I read a lot of books and a lot of them are good but this one felt different. It seeped into my soul in a way that most do not. Tension was gradually built throughout this in a way that I found impressive for a story where you’re supposed to already know what happened. This book is packed with social commentary and timely themes that cover racism (overt & covert), feminism, sexism, and fame.

And finally, how can I end this review without a plug for the queen of the novel, Opal. A rockstar literally and figuratively-- I absolutely loved her.

My favorite book of the year so far. The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is hard to put down. I recommend this for everyone.

An easy 5 stars.

Thank you @netgalley and 37 Ink/Simon & Schuster for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This is the story of Opal Jewel, an independent young woman trying to share her music, spread her messages of equality, and not lose who she is along the way, even if that’s exactly what society wants. Following her journey as half of a rock ‘n’ roll duo, its eventual break up and later reunion, we see how many of the issues of racism and sexism she faced in the 1970s, when the band began, still ran true in 2016 at the reunion.

Written as an oral history by an editor with personal ties to the story, I enjoyed being able to see the events from multiple perspectives. It emphasized how multi-layered and complex situations can be and the pivotal role of the most intricate details. Symbols from music, fashion and color all support the immense power of choice as well as the importance of balancing your own moral compass and advocating for yourself and others.

The main characters are well-crafted, flaws and all, making it a believable story. The author also accurately captures time and place through an approachable writing style, highlighting things that are better but also things that have unfortunately stayed the same. As seen at the reunion concert in the book, so many themes of racism and sexism still echo true today.

Whether you enjoyed the oral history format from Daisy Jones and the Six or you are looking for a relevant read in today’s times, keep an eye out for this book hitting the shelves on March 30th.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.